Massey Ferguson MF 8660

Terry Stevenson took the award-winning Massey Ferguson MF 8660 through its paces at a recent Waikato Tractors field day event

Massey Ferguson MF 8660

Fantastic use of new technologies, solar panel, AdBlue

High torque rating

Handles like a smaller tractor

Infinitely variable speed transmission

Lots of lighting for night work

Analogue rev counter in dash

The 8600 series are now using a larger transmission, a completely new engine and exhaust emissions system. It is also the first Tier 4 emissions-level tractor brought into production. The 8.4-litre SisuDiesel engine doesn’t re-circulate its exhaust gases through the engine to qualify for the stringent European emission standards, and it uses AdBlue.

Pre-sets

The driver’s consol has two easy access ‘A’ and ‘B’ buttons to enter your two most common engine speeds. A pair of small buttons titled SV1 and SV2 are used for pre-programmable ground speeds, such as stacking. These are dial-adjustable and speeds are displayed on the dash.

Another pair of buttons control the DTM engine and transmission pre-programmed speed management system to ensure your tractor is operating at the most economical speed.

Main controller

The main controller features five areas (tractor operations, tasks, hectares, on-board information and a camera facility) to monitor and adjust everything on the tractor. It has a USB port so you can download all of the tractor information, the jobs to fuel use, engine temperature to wheel slip. It also has virtual invoicing.

Dyna-VT

The MF8000 range is fitted with a Fendt infinitely variable speed transmission and rear end. Massey Ferguson calls it Dyna-VT, having a separate hydraulic oil tank and no gears, therefore no jolts, to interrupt the work.

To move forward just push the ‘T’ bar forward until you arrive at your desired ground speed. Once you understand it, it’s easy, however like most big tractors this isn’t one you’d throw a newby into without a level of instruction.

Dyna-VT uses an adjustable system called "Supervisor", where the transmission will automatically drop the ground speed to maintain working power should the engine or PTO load increase to outside your pre-set tolerances. The 10,300kg MF 8660 didn’t even notice it was there.

It also has an electronic engine management system named Dynamic Tractor Management (DTM), which works alongside the Dyna-VT system to automatically increase engine speed according to the load on the tractor – the combination of both keeping fuel consumption to a minimum.

The new cast chassis is heavy and strong, as the side rails conform around the radiators, although it’s designed to increase the 7.4m turning circle of this 3100mm wheelbase tractor. An integrated front weight carrier adds to the look of the MF8000 range.

The powerplant

The SisuDiesel engine features four valves per cylinder with common rail injection to produce 295hp at 2000rpm on the MF 8660 model. The engine is configured to make more power at an optimum 2000rpm (equals 1000rpm PTO) than at 2200rpm, for 265hp. The MF 8660 produces 1295Nm of torque.

Suspension

The two front ‘A’ pillars were bevelled at the front to offer better viewing from the climate controlled cab. There are only four pillars, rather than the usual six.

An interesting new feature was a solar panel mounted to the top of the cab to give the batteries a trickle charge to ensure that your Massey Ferguson starts first time, every time.

Holding it all up is a new, damping adjustable, four-point cab suspension system fitted to all MF8600 series tractors. The OptiRide Plus suspension system monitors the tractor’s pitch and roll via a network of on-board sensors that send data to an ECU with a memory to control the damping, and offer what Massey Ferguson says is 25 percent greater comfort.

The suspension is also manually adjustable via a covered corner consol, which includes rear linkage, PTO and even a steering wheel turn ratio setting knob.

Massey Ferguson’s Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system injects a finely atomised quantity of AdBlue liquid into the exhaust catalytic converter to reduce emissions. Therefore each power stroke receives a fresh charge of clean fuel, making the engine more efficient with around five percent reduction fuel consumption.Inside a special catalytic converter, the toxic oxides are converted into nitrogen gas and water.

Non-toxic, non-flammable and bio-degradable, AdBlue is made up of urea and water. The heat inside the hot exhaust converts the urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide (CO2). The ammonia then becomes the active substance in the SCR catalytic converter and in the following chemical reaction, nitrogen oxides (Nox) are converted into nitrogen gas (N2) and water vapour (H2O)! Nitrogen being part of the air we breathe.

The dash has an AdBlue fuel gauge so you can monitor the level and, if you decide to run the motor without AdBlue, the ECU will put the engine into half power mode.